Closure fastener for containers



Feb. 1, 1944. W, H. INMAN GLOSURE FASTENER FOR CONTAINERS Filed Dec lO, 1941 Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l CLOSURE-.FASTENER FOR CONTAINERS William H..Inman, Newark; N'.`l Yi; afssign'or" to Bloomer Bros: Company, Newark; N: Y., a corporation ofNewYork Application December 10, 1941, SerialNo. 432,385r

2 Claims'.

This invention relates to a vclosure fastening for a container made of fibrous sheetfmaterial of thegeneral formcommonly known as1an oyster pail. The primary object of the-invention,V is the provision of a simple. and effective closurev fastener so designed andconstructedas to require no metal parts.

Another object is the provision of a non-metallic closure fastener of such form that it`=can be closed with a minimum of `effort on the part of the user and, whenclosed, will hold .the closure parts elfectivelyandtightlyin closed position.

A further object is the-provision of such a closure fastener so designed and constructed that it does not appreciably increase the cost of manufacture of the container on` which it isk used.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations vof parts,al1 las will be hereinafter more fully de-y scribed, the novel features .being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.v

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a fiat blank of fibrous sheet material from which may be constructed a container embodying the closure fastener of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the completed container with the closure flapsin openposition;

Fig. 3 is a similar. view with. the closure iiaps in closed position and held in such position by the fastener of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a fragment of the closed container, the section being taken centrally through the fastener parts, and.

Figs. 5 and 6 are. plans of a tabportion andA eye portion,` respectively, constitutingthe fas- Y tening means of the presentinvention.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.v

Referring first to Fig. 1, .the blank from -which the container is made may be of the. conventional iiber board, cardboard, or fibrous sheet material stock, commonly known as carton stock, and `except for the closure fastening means. hereinafter described the rest. of the carton itself may be of the conventional form commonly employed in a so-called oyster pail, inc1uding,for example, a rectangular bottom section Il, hinged. to opposite edges of which are tapered side walls I3 and I5-to'the upper. edges of which inner closure flaps I1 and I9, respectively,4 are hinged." To the other opposite edges of the bottom section are hinged tapered side walls 23 and 25 to the upper edges of which outer closure iiaps 21 and 29, respectively, are hinged. Cornerxfold sections of the usual kind are employed, such as the fold sections 3l and 32 between the side- .walls I3 and 25, 'the fold sections 33 and 34 betweenthe side walls 25 and I5, the foldisections35 and-.36 betweenLthe,side-.wallsll and 23, and the fold sections 31 and=38 between the lside walls 23 and I3. These partsareall folded up in conventional .manneig ltouform the complete oyster pail asshown in Figs. 2. and 3, `ofconventional form except. .for .Y theclosure .fastener hereinafterv described.

In the .erected `paihthe corner. fold sections 3l and 32 :areffolded fiatagainst each other and the sections 33-fand34 are folded flat against each other, and these two pairs of sections are folded, in somewhat overlappingrelation toeach other, against. the outer side of the side wall 25. Likewisethe corner .fold sections 35 and 35 are folded flat yagainst eachother, and the fold sections 31 and 33 are foldedflatagainst each other, and these two pairs of sections `are folded, in somewhat overlapping relation to each other, against the outer side of the side wall section 23, with the. sections 31., 38 preferably lying outside of the sections 35, 36. A Wire bail'handle 4|.is inserted at one end through the folded sectionsk 3|, 32,33, and `34 .where they,` overlap each other, and clinchedover inside-these sections, which serves to-hold them in the intended overlapping position, and at its other endthe wire bail-is inserted through the folded sections 35, 36, 31, and 38 where they overlapk each other, and similarly clinched over, likewise holding them in the intended folded position, in additionto serving as a convenient handle for the entire container.

ToL close theopen toprof the container after it has been filled withoystersor other products, theinner pair ofclosure flaps I1 and IS are first folded down .across the mouth of the container and .inoverlapping relationto .each other, and thenthe outerpairof closure iiaps 21 and.29 are likewise folded down in overlapping relation to each.l other. and vin overlying relation to the flaps I1 and I9.

The closure `iiap fastening means` of-the presentinvention comprises an eye or opening formed inthe. fibrous carton-stock adjacent one edge` of the mouth of the container, and a tongue or projection at one edge of the .uppermost closure ap 29, which-tongue or projection may be thrust through the eye or opening and so manipulated as to be retained therein, for purposes of holding the uppermost closure iiap in its folded-down or closed position, thus also retaining in closed position `the three closure flaps beneath.

The eye or openingis formed by holes 5I and 52 in tabsor projections 53 and 54 extending upwardly from the upper ledges of the'corner fold sections 31 land 38, respectively, in such position that when these sections 31 and 33 are folded into normal position, the projections 53 and 54 will lie in overlapping relation to each other and the holes 5I` and.52 will be Vsubstantially alined witheach other, to constitute, in-effect, asingle. .eye :or: opening; through the. :two :thicknesses: of

material. This eye or opening, as best seen in Fig. 6, is of approximately trapezoidal shape, narrower atv the top than at the bottom, and is so placed in the material that the lower edge of the opening is preferably at or slightly below the level of the upper edges of the side walls of the oyster pail.

The tongue or projection which enters the` in Fig. 5, and includes a tapered forward end integrally connected to the closure flap 29 by the material or shank lying between the two cuts 65, and having rear corners 61 which may readily be bent out of the plane of the main projection 6|, due to the weakening effect of the cuts 63 and 65. The width of the: uncut portion between the two slits 65 is preferably substantially the same as the width of the narrow upper part of the eye 5|, 52. The pointed forward end of the projection 6| is narrower than the width of the upper part of the eye, while the broad rear end of the tab 6| (including the wings 61) is wider than the widest part (the lower part) of the eye. This relation of the parts is readily seen from a comparison of Figs. 5 and 6.

In use, the oyster pail is lled when the parts are in the relative positions indicated in Fig. 2. Then the inner pair of closure flaps |1 and I9 are folded down across the top or mouth of the pail. The closure flap 21 is folded down across the flap I1 and I9 at right angles thereto, and finally the closure ap 29 is folded down on top of the flap 21. As the nap 29 comes down, the end of the tab 6| is thrust through the eye 5|, 52 and the projecting end beyond the eye is grasped and pulled upwardly with a quick sharp motion. This serves to bend the material 53, 54 (in which the eye 5|, 52 is formed) inwardly to a position such as shown in Fig. 4,and at the same time to deform the wings 61 of the tab 6| sufficiently so that they will pass through the eye 5|, 52. The upward pull on the tab 6| elevates that part of the tab which projects through the eye up to the narrower upper part of the eye, where the tab is more securely held. The wings 61, which meanwhile yhave passed througl the eye, are bent downwardly by this upward motion of the rest of the tab, and assume a position with the rear edges of the wings 61 resting on the front surface of the material 54 around the eye, as indicated somewhat diagrammatically in Figs. 3

and 4.

This completes the closure of the oyster pail in a most effective and satisfactory manner, holding the closure flaps tightly closed against accidental opening from the jars and other conditions customarily encountered in transporting the fun pan. However, if the pail is provided with the wire bail handle 4|, as is preferably the case, the handle is swung upwardly to an upstanding position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and as it comesv upwardly it will produce a camming action on the inclined lateral edge of the tab 6|, camming this tab upwardly and inwardly until the flat end of the tab rests against and is held up by the bail handle when the latter is in its completely upstanding position as shown. Thus the handle gives additiona1 protection against accidental disengagement of the parts.

When the pail is to be opened, it is a simple matter to swing the bail handle aside, then grasp the projecting end of the tab 6| and swing it downwardly approximately to a horizontal position, at the same time grasping the top edge of the layers 53, 54 and swinging them outwardly to a position somewhat outwardly beyond a vertical position, which motion readily causes the tab 6| to be drawn back through the wide lower part of the eye so that the closure flaps of the pail may be opened to obtain access to the contents.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is tol be understood that the inventive idea may beA carried out in a number of ways. This application is therefore ynot to be limitedv to the precise details described, but is intended to cover all variations and modifications thereof falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure fastening means for a carton of the type formed from a single sheet of flexible material cut, scored and folded to provide a bottom, side walls including corner folds, and a top closure, said fastening means comprising a portion ofsaid corner folds extended above the carton top at one side thereof and having an opening formed therein adjacent said top, a tab projecting integrally from the edge of said closure, said tab having tapered sides converging outwardly to a width less than that of said opening so as tobe readily inserted therethrough and to extend beyond the lateral outlines of said carton side walls, but being wider at its inner end than said opening, with undercut inner corners adapted to engage the outer face of said corner fold portion on opposite sides of said opening, and a handle extending in a loop over said closure with its ends secured to said corner folds on opposite sides of saidcarton, said handle being adapted to engage the tapered sides of said tab and bend said tab upwardly against the -upper side of said opening and within the lateral outlines of said carton side walls. Y

2. A closure fastening means for a carton of the type formed from a single sheet of flexible material out, scored and folded to provide a bottom, side walls including corner folds, and a top closure, said fastening means comprising a portion of saidcorner folds extended above the carton top at one side thereof and having vtherein a tapered opening of substantial height, narrower at its top than at its bottom, a tab projecting integrally from the edge of said closure and having tapered sides converging outwardly to a width less than that of the bottom of said opening so as to be readily inserted therein and to extend beyond the lateral outlines of said carton side walls, said tab being wider at its inner endthan the greatest width of said opening, with undercut inner corners adapted to engage the outer face of said corner fold portion on opposite sides of said opening, and a handle extending in a loop over said closure with its ends secured to said corner folds on opposite sides of said carton, said handle being adapted to engage the tapered sides of said tab and bend the same upwardly within the lateral outlines of said carton side walls and interlock its inner corners with the narrower top portion of said opening.

WILLIAM H. INMAN. 

